In other AZ news John Shadegg has announced his retirement again.
Posted on 01/17/2010 7:52:18 AM PST by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — A game of political musical chairs began Saturday with Republican state Sen. Jonathan Paton saying he will officially announce today his campaign to remove Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords from her Congressional District 8 seat.
Paton’s decision to run against the two-term congresswoman was announced in a document obtained by the Herald/Review and came slightly more than four hours after Republican state Rep. Frank Antenori’s premature release Saturday of his intention to seek Paton’s Senate seat. Both Paton, whose statement was not released to the media, and Antenori, whose statement was, are from District 30.
Two hours after Paton’s statement, Giffords released a media statement of her own Saturday welcoming her friend and ex-schoolmate to the congressional contest, noting he first will have to win the GOP primary.
Antenori may have inadvertently started the ball going down the slope before Paton made his announcement today.
The state representative said he asked his staff to prepare an announcement that he would run for the state Senate seat.
However, Antenori was expecting the news release to be sent out after Paton made his announcement today.
“But, it’s done. We can’t take it back,” Antenori told the Herald/Review on Saturday.
In his statement to supporters, Paton said during the past year he has watched the nation “veer down a troubled path.”
That path included out-of-control spending, evaporating jobs, an economy going down the drain, threats of lost benefits and higher taxes, he said.
Saying “enough is enough,” Paton’s written comments went on that he would fight for the community and values he and others in the congressional district, which includes all of Cochise County, love.
Those values “have been cast aside and ignored by the incumbent and her friends back in Washington,” Paton said.
The amount of support he has received has been huge, and that is one reason he wants to represent the district in Congress.
“One party dominance in Washington, back room deals, bailouts, political junkets and giveaways have left us questioning whether the opportunities that we’ve all enjoyed will be available to the next generation of Americans,” he said.
There is a better path and he is part of the road to a better life, Paton said, noting that the campaign will be tough.
Calling Giffords a political animal and money machine — reportedly the congresswoman has $3 million in her campaign coffers — who will do anything Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama wants, the candidate hopeful said he is ready for the campaign.
But first, he will have to be nominated by the party faithful.
There are three who announced last year they will be seeking the GOP nomination to go against Giffords — Andy Goss, Jesse Kelly and Brian Miller. None of them could be reached Saturday for comments about Paton’s decision to enter the campaign.
Goss, Kelly and Miller are scheduled to speak at a Thunder Mountain Republican Women luncheon meeting at 11 a.m. Jan. 26 at the Pueblo del Sol Country Club in Sierra Vista. It is unknown whether Paton will now be invited to the event.
Giffords’ reaction
As for the quartet in the Republican field, Giffords noted she is looking “forward to discussing our nation’s most important issue with whomever the Republican nominee is.”
Until it is decided, “I remain focused on the job my constituents hired me to do. My priorities are Arizona’s priorities — securing the border, rebuilding the economy, supporting our military and veterans and ensuring access to affordable health care,” she said.
As for Antenori decision to try to replace Paton as senator, he said, “My constituents have expressed concern that a conservative continue to hold the Senate seat. I assured them that I will keep working to bring more businesses and jobs to Arizona and District 30 so we can wave good bye to recession and deficits.”
According to Arizona election laws, since Paton has less than a year to serve as senator, he does not have to resign to run for any other higher office.
If he does, the elected precinct chairmen in Pima County, which is the county of his home of record, would have to meet in five days and forward the names of three people for the Pima County supervisors to choose from to replace Paton.
Giffords MUST go!
10-4
I will support the Republican who has the best chance of unseating Ms. Giffords.
is one trying to split the ticket and help the dem
There are too many hippies at the U of A, too many gubmint employees, too many illegals and too many moonbat Californian refugees in Pima county.
Ain’t gonna happen.
It's in the RNC genes. The medical term is "suicidus nationalus".
Giffords is a former moderate republican who became a moderate democrat because, she said, the GOP was taken over by the extremists.
She was getting (R) votes last night on the news with a trip to a permanent border check point on I-19.
Big deal construction project, a concrete shade and an extra lane on the freeway and Internet wiring...:^)
But it got her on TV being tough on illegals - er undocumented... her web site isn't so tough (amnesty?)
Giffords draws an opponent in AZ.
She did what McCain would do if he were a bit more honest.
I’ll believe he’s better than Jesse Kelly when I see it. That is one sharp kid and he can deliver a heck of a speech.
Another DemocRAT thought to be “secure” must now face a first-tier Republican candidate. The tide is turning.
In other AZ news John Shadegg has announced his retirement again.
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